Prime Minister Andrew Holness outlined that the Port Antonio Bypass marks the breaking of barriers that have long held back the full economic potential of the parish and its people.

Holness revealed it represents the dawning of a new era of mobility, opportunity, and resilience for the people in Port Antonio. “From the early days of our administration, we made a clear commitment to modernise Jamaica’s infrastructure and ensure that no parish, no town, and no community is left behind. The Port Antonio Bypass project is the latest expression of that commitment. It represents an investment in Portland’s growth, in tourism potential, and in its ability to attract capital, create jobs, and build wealth for its citizens,” he said.

He expressed that while some love the poor and want to keep them poor, his administration loves the poor but hates poverty and wants the poor to become wealthy. “We are not ashamed of wealth and prosperity. We believe every Jamaican can achieve wealth and prosperity… and that’s why we do everything in our power to cut all the dimensions of poverty. And I know when you hear the word ‘wealth’, you immediately think ‘money’. Money is one dimension of wealth. Health is a dimension of wealth.

You could have all the money in the world, but you will spend it when you find out you’re not healthy. You’ll give it away to get your health. So when we say we want our Jamaicans to be wealthy, what we are really saying is we want them to be healthy. Mobility is another dimension of wealth,” Holness continued, stating that the building of the roads and the bypasses helps to create another dimension of wealth in Jamaicans’ lives.

Holness also stated that purposeful employment is another form of wealth. “You know, a lot of people believe that you only work for money, but a lot of people work for fulfilment; do something with your life that means something. So never confuse when we talk about prosperity that all we are talking about is money. No, we want the entire human being to develop and to be able to fulfil themselves and to ultimately pursue their happiness.”

While the bypass will provide ease of mobility, Holness also says that his desire is for citizens to be safe. “Not just safe from criminals and crime, but you also want to be safe from the impacts of climate and weather… Port Antonio, the main town, is on the seaside. It’s a coastal, low-lying area, and it is often impacted by weather events. How many weather events have impacted your wealth? Destroyed your home, destroyed a road, quite a bit.

“And so what we are doing now is to move your road inland, protecting your mobility and protecting your other assets, land and businesses, and that will ensure resilience that should there be a weather event that hits Portland, a part of your wealth and prosperity will be preserved,” Holness added.

The prime minister also stated that the bypass is not just about Portland or about the infrastructure but is a strategic initiative with national importance. “For decades, Port Antonio has been one of Jamaica’s hidden gems, blessed with natural beauty and rich cultural heritage but held back by limited access and inadequate infrastructure. The current route through the town centre adds to the traffic congestion in the town, but the Port Antonio bypass will solve this.

“The new 18-kilometre corridor, divided into two phases, will divert through traffic from the fragile, congested coastal town centre, cutting travel time, reducing transport costs and unlocking vast development potential inland. In so doing, it will unlock new commercial zones, stimulate land development and create room for expansion, while maintaining Port Antonio as a quiet coastal retreat but with a thriving economic hub,” Holness said.